


New Cub

by Merfilly



Category: Earth's Children - Jean M. Auel
Genre: Gen, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 19:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3261809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baby needs Latie to tend his late-season cub.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Cub

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Two Searchers](https://archiveofourown.org/works/440285) by [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly). 



> This is continuing a vague idea of a rise of supernatural creatures based on Auel's series.

Latie stopped by the tracks leading away from her cave, away from safety, then looked out again into the lightly blowing snow.

Baby had come, then left, but had not come to find her working to get more firewood. Why?

She looked up; there would be some light, and she knew his den was not that far from here, not if she rode the horse she had tamed in the spring.

She should go back to her people before the winter set in too deeply, but she had already learned so much about animals, living alone. Talut would send someone soon, though, now that the early snows were getting stronger.

She needed to know why Baby had come with snow on the wind. With a firm determination, the young woman went to find Rain, her mare. The foal had been found during a treacherous rainstorm, still young enough to learn to trust humans. Latie tried not to ride her often, as she was not as big as Whinney had been, but they'd been working on it.

* * *

When Latie got to the lion's den, or near to it, she dismounted and left Rain free to run. She did not fear the lionesses, but she would not risk her mare. Standing near the twisted trees that provided some cover, Latie gave the lion-call she had been working on… and it was answered in challenge by at least three lionesses before Baby's deeper roar silenced them. The large cat did not appear out of the cave immediately, making Latie worry that she might have to go in.

Then Baby did appear, more massive than any other cave lion Latie had ever seen or heard of. In his jaws, a cub dangled, mewing weakly at the treatment. 

Latie moved then, going to where Baby put the cub down. It did not do much more than mew and make hissing noises when Latie knelt down to look at it. Nor did it take long for Latie to understand; the cub had a long raking cut down one flank.

"Something braved your den? Hurt the cub," Latie said, even though Baby would not answer her. Instead, the massive lion nosed the cub, then head-butted her in the chest, staggering her. It made her smile, understanding at once. The Mother had gifted this lion with intelligence and memory, then put him in the hands of Ayla.

Ayla had made people and animals better. Therefore, Latie must be able to.

"You are different. Most prides would have killed it or abandoned it, if I understand the pride to the east's ways," she told him. She took the sack she carried out of the waist loop she carried it on, and gathered up the cub. "I will need Mamut, so I must go to the Lion Camp. But I will come back, before winter grows thick, if I can," she promised him, but he was already walking away.

* * *

Baby knew words. Baby knew humans. The Mother had Gifted him as strongly as the woman who had raised him. This new cub, the one that had come out of season, would still thrive, and perhaps be even stronger than Baby himself. 

Latie would make certain of it, his new human the Mother had given to him.


End file.
